HYNDBURN is to receive a whopping £8.6M to continue its housing regeneration work.

The cash forms part of £150M which the Government has allocated to “pathfinder group” Elevate over the next three years for its crucial work in revitalising neighbourhoods across Pennine Lancashire.

The continuing focus of the Hyndburn programme will be the acquisition and demolition of properties in the Project Phoenix area of West Accrington to make way for redevelopment.

As the work in that area, along either side of Blackburn Road, draws to a close the emphasis will switch to the Peel and Barnfield area.

Meanwhile, refurbishment of some properties to the north of Blackburn Road will continue, with priority given to the facelifting of terraces at “gateway” locations and near new development sites.

The scale of refurbishment will escalate over the next three years so that by 2010-11 it will form 20 per cent of the programme.

Environmental work is also planned under the scheme and the funding will also continue to support neighourhood management schemes in West Accrington and Church, Clayton-le-Moors and Peel and Barnfield.

“This funding will enable us to coontinue to make a real difference in West Accrington and Church and, importantly, to make a start on the plans to transform Peel ward.”

An Elevate spokesman said: “Investment will be concentrated in key priority areas to ensure maximum impact - those where market conditions are most severe and where, without intervention, further decline would be likely.”

Chief Executive Max Steinberg said: “This marks another major step on the road to the transformation of this area.”

A total of £317M has been allocated to Elevate since the programme started in 2003 and £25M has been spent in Hyndburn.